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An Institutional History of the 1872 Brazilian Census and Adoption of the Metric System

An article-length study about the economic history of Brazil focusing on the introduction of the metric
system and the conduct of the first national census in the 1870s.

My research looks at two major events that took place in Brazil in 1872: the first national census and the adoption of the metric system of weights and measures. These events are important to Brazil's history because of their potential to integrate the domestic economy. Prior to the adoption of the metric system Brazilians used regional weights and measures of differing values, making long-distance exchange difficult. Prior to the national census, Brazilian planners lacked much beyond a general understanding of the demographics of the internal market. Both innovations brought Brazilians into closer contact with state officials whose policies had powerful effects on their livelihoods This project opens an investigation into the history of Brazil's domestic economy, where most Brazilians lived and worked and where government initiatives had the greatest potential to affect their quality of life and standard of living.